The Inky Illustrations of Ali Cantarella

A little while back, I drank cheep beers at a bar and scribbled on square bar napkins to pass the time. Stained with yellowish beverage rings and questionable bar residue, these little canvases held drawings of tall bottles, shot glasses, martini strainers, clear mugs, and more.

I've always had an affinity for mixing, making -- and of course, drinking!-- tasty beverages. Imperfections have always interested me. So I've decided to take this blog in a better (wetter) direction, as an experimental sketch & beverage Blog!

If I'm sitting at home sipping one of my dozens of teas, coffees, wines, or beers, or if I'm out at a bar trying some new drink served to me with an intriguing spill on the coaster, you'll find it here, turned into art. I'll talk about the drink, show you some cool, fun (or, funny?) , art on this daily blog, and maybe you'll get to experience some Chicago bars and restaurants along with me~!

Yesterday in Chicago was grey, wet, and cold. When I'm freezing in my studio, I usually reach for tea to warm me up. Cheaper and easier than loose leaf, but with much lesser flavor, I might re-steep the same bag three or four times before I give it up for gone.

First up, the tea (which I drank before even taking the picture, oops! Sorry, I was cold!)

Tazo Berryblossom White Tea disappointed me the first time I drank it. A fan of Tazo's Mint Refresh and Hibiscus-orange Passion, I had high hopes for this little blue box. Bitter and dark, it was nothing I expected, and thus it sat on my shelf for months before a moment of desperation brought me back.

However, the second steep around gained much more favorable results. Maybe I burned it the first time, but a second attempt garnered a medium yellowish tea with flavors that tasted more flowery than fruity.

For me, this is a pretty basic tea. I will drink it when I am cold and need something to warm me up until my box runs out, but I probably won't buy it again. However, as a lover of many other Tazo flavors, this brand hasn't lost me for good <3

For my sketch, I splashed a little tea abstractedly on a sheet of Strathmore Cold-Press Watercolor Paper and waited for it to soak in. The tea made a weak stain, not great for painting with, but with my trusty blue Bic ballpoint pen, I found a shape that interested me and started sketching. The strange wet stain brought out island like formations, so I decided to stick with the wet, aquatic, blue theme and draw: A Beta Fish!

The watercolor paper was amazing for ballpoint pen! The textured surface allowed the pen to create line variation and freestyle imperfections while sketching, and the thickness of the paper stood up to the heavy handedness of bolder lines. The pen was almost able to carve into the heavy paper, creating crisp lines and a smooth drawing experience.

When finished, I was pretty pleased with the Beta, and had completely forgotten about my tea. It's a good sign if you're so absorbed in your work that you forget about your food...right? ;)

Hope you enjoyed this abstract adventure, and look out for new inspiration and experimentation tomorrow! Feel free to click on any of the photos to make them larger and take a look around the rest of the site for more ballpoint pieces and watercolor works.